Heated hair roller

ABSTRACT

A two-piece hair roller is formed so as to provide for an internal cavity. A water activatable heating composition is placed within this cavity so as to heat the roller after the hair has been wound upon it. The two parts may be separate until use, or may be joined.

United States Patent Garrett [451 Sept. 26, 1972 154] HEATED HAIR ROLLER [72] inventor: William Garrett, New York, NY.

[73] Assignee: Flairescence Ltd., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 111,833

[52] US. Cl. ..l32/33 R [51] Int. Cl. ..A45d 4/14 [58] Field of Search.....l32/33 R, 36 R, 39, 40, 42 R; 220/4 E; 206/46 FR [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1950 Stimson ..l 3 2 /4 2 R 2,768,634 10/1956 Krauss et al. ..l32/40 2,146,675 2/1939 Huppert ..l32/39 3,538,925 11/1970 Reiner ..132/39 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-J. N. Eskovitz Attorney-Kane, Dalsimer, Kane, Sullivan and Kurucz [5 7] ABSTRACT,

A two-piece hair roller is formed so as to provide for an internal cavity. A water activatable heating composition is placed within this cavity so as to heat the roller after the hair has been wound upon it. The two parts may be separate until use, or may be joined.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures The setting of human hair, a proteinaceous material, either by waving or curling, is a subject which has received considerable attention. A variety of electrical devices and materials are presently marketed to accomplish hair setting in a variety of manners. Some of the devices presently marketed for this purpose are heated so as to more easily accomplish the setting of the hair which, because of its proteinaceous nature, will set when wrapped about a heated roller. In particular, various electrically heated rollers have been manufactured but these provide obvious drawbacks because of the necessity for electrical current.

Other devices have been provided which utilize machineless or cold-waving methods for permanent waving of the hair and these also have drawbacks because of the general requirement that chemical compounds, particularly caustic compounds, be brought into direct contact with the hair and scalp of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, I have developed structure especially adapted for use in hair curling which does not require electrical current and wherein potentially harmful waving chemicals do not contact the hair. The temperature developed with the roller of my invention can be carefully controlled for each usage and thus may be so employed as to generate heat within the range of 135 to 150 F., a temperature ideally suited for human hair without damage to the scalp, or may reach a temperature of 160 to 180 R, an ideal temperature for setting wigs. Additionally, other temperatures can be generated, as desired.

ln accordance with the present invention, a roller is formed in two parts. These parts may be adapted to be press fit together, or they may be hinged in one position and press fit or otherwise joined at the opposite position. In either event, the end of the roller is particularly formed to provide for the best possible distribution of the heat and the inner portion of the roller is hollow to allow for insertion of the heat generating material. Preferably, this heat generating material is one which is water activatable and which is placed within the roller in the form of a pad, sachet, or tablet.

While the roller is preferably formed of an impermeable material, so that only heat is transmitted from the central cavity to the hair of the user, it may be formed with perforations. When formed with perforations, steam may be transmitted from the central cavity to the head of the user, if this is desirable. Additionally, various heat activatable, hair conditioning materials, such as protein-containing materials, may be placed within the sachet or the central cavity, so as to reach the hair through the perforations, or, if an imperforate material is used, the heat activated material may be placed upon the outside of the roller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled roller of the present invention;

FlG. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing perforations in the body of the roller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the heated roller of the present invention is illustrated as formed from a left half 1 which is slidably received in a right half 2. A central cavity 3 is formed and in this cavity is placed a heat generating pad, sachet or tablet 4. The heat generating material can, of course, be supplied in any of a variety of forms, though the pad or sachet is to be preferred as it is more convenient.

As can most clearly be seen in FIG. 2, the portion 8 of the cylindrical wall of the left end has a diameter somewhat smaller than the diameter of the remainder of the cylindrical wall 9. The outside diameter of the portion 8 is essentially the same as the inside diameter of the wall 9 of right-hand portion 2 so as to allow the left-hand end to be press fit into the right-hand end, after the heat generating composition has been placed within the cavity 3 of the roller.

As illustrated, the left half 1 and right half 2 are interfitted to form the complete roller 5. This roller is in the form of a continuous cylinder with depressions 6 and 7. Filling a portion of the depressed areas 6 and 7 at the ends of the completed cylinder are domed portions 10 and 11. These domed portions provide several functions. First, they provide for a larger internal cavity than would be provided by flattening the inwardmost portion of the depressions 6 and 7, thus providing more volume for placement of a heat generating composition. Second, they provide additional surface area for heat transfer from the roller to the hair being waved.

In addition, formation of domed portions in the cavity provides for locating and centering the heat generating material 4. The heat generating material may be placed within one of these domed portions, in assembly of the roller, and the domed portion fit over the heat generating material so as to retain it. This allows for an even distribution of heat within the roller. Further, the indentations allow standard hair clips to be employed in holding the roller to the hair being treated.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is essentially the same as that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, in addition, the domed portions 10 and 11' are provided with openings 12'. These openings are provided so that steam may be transmitted from the internal cavity to the hair being treated, or sothat heat activatable, hair treating materials, such as a protein-containing material, may be placed within the cavity and caused to escape as the system heats.

The roller of this invention has been illustrated as being formed from two interfitting halves whichare press fit together to form the completed roller. However, it will also be obvious that the roller may be formed in different ways without changing the overall configuration 1 or the overall utilization of the system.

For example, two halves could be formed by slicing along the diameter of the cylinder, rather than along a midportion of the cylinder as illustrated. Further, the two halves, either formed in the manner shown in FIG. 2, or along the diameter of the cylinder as just described, may be hinged along one portion, and the hinge may either be integral or may be an additional portion. For example, with two halves formed by cutting along the diameter of the cylinder illustrated in FIG. 1, the device could be molded from a plastic and the two halves joined by a strip of plastic, as a part of the molding operating, along an element of the cylinder.

The heating generating pad, sachet or tablet 4 which is placed within the cavity formed in the roller, particularly when the device is in the form illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, can be any heat generating composition, preferably water-activatable, which will provide the temperatures desired. in this embodiment of the invention, the pad or sachet is wetted and placed within one piece of the roller, after which the other piece of the roller is press fit so as to complete the cavity. Since the cavity is closed, there is no escape of any material from the interior and, consequently, no special care need be taken that chemicals which might otherwise be harmful to the scalp not be used in the heat generating composition. On the other hand, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, various heating compositions can be employed, but care must be taken that the chemicals employed in the heat generating composition are not injurious to the hair or scalp of a user.

The roller may be formed of any of a variety of materials, so long as the material is one which will transmit heat. Thus, many of the synthetic polymers can be employed, as can metals.

As will be clearly seen, the roller of the present invention can be reused. When a particular hair waving operation has been completed, the roller is opened and the spent heat generating composition disposed of. For the next use, a new chargeof the heat generating composition is placed within the roller and the operation repeated. Additionally, as can be seen, because of this method of operation, the roller can be employed on a human head in one instance, with a temperature of 135 to 150 F. being generated, while in a second instance it could be employed for waving of wigs, where a temperature of 160 to 180 F. would be generated.

The invention has been described in detail, with particular reference made to preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination hair roller and heat generating composition comprising:

a. a first portion having an exterior surface and an interior surface, at least a portion of which is concave;

b. a second portion separably connected to said first portion and also having an exterior surface and an interior surface, at least a portion of said interior surface being concave, such that joinder of said first portion and said second portion completes a cavity within said portions and wherein joinder of said first portion and said second portion provides, on the exterior surface, a continuous cylinder, and said heat generating composition being held within said cavity.

2. The combination hair roller and heat generating composition of claim 1 wherein the ends of said cylinder are de ressed, a portion of said depression being occupied y a dome, the interior of said dome forming part of said cavity.

3. The combination hair roller and heat generating composition of claim 1 wherein said first portion and 

2. The combination hair roller and heat generating composition of claim 1 wherein the ends of said cylinder are depressed, a portion of said depression being occupied by a dome, the interior of said dome forming part of said cavity.
 3. The combination hair roller and heat generating composition of claim 1 wherein said first portion and said second portion are formed as half cylinders and are joined along an element of the cylinder.
 4. The combination hair roller and heat generating composition of claim 2 wherein the roller is formed from two portions, each having the depressed hollow end and domed portion filling a part of the hollow end, and the portions are joined by a press fit.
 5. The combination hair roller and heat generating composition of claim 1 wherein a portion of the surfaces is perforated. 